Method of producing wire fabric



Nov. .27 1923. 1,475,352 A: PURVES v METHOD OF PRODUCING WIRE FABRIC Filed May 9. 1922 I INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

ANDREW PURVES, OF HOLYQKE, MIASSACI-IUSETTS.

i aaaa ENE. j

DIQETHQD OF PRODUCING \VIR-E FABRIC.

Application filed May 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1., ANDREW Punvns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Han ipden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Producing Wire Fabric, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of producing a woven wire fabric and the product of the same and has for its object more particularly the production of such a fabric with a uniform even selvage of durable character.

The invention is especially applicable to the production of the Fourdrinier wire screen employed in paper making machines,

and for this purpose is directed to a method which will produce a selvage which is flat and even with the main body of the fabric and one in which the weft wires have not been substantially bruised or distorted during the weaving operation, so that it will Wear longer than selvage of Fou rdrinier wire as heretofore made. As is well known,

a F ourdrinier wire screen should have a flat uniform surface for contact with the rolls of the paper machine, and the greatest difiiculty heretofore has been found in themaking of such screen with an undistorted selvage.

A F ourdrinier screen is usually woven from small brass wire, both for the warp and weft and with-very fine mesh. The brass wire thus used is necessarily soft and individually not of very great strength, so

that a very high. degree of tension can not be applied to the warp Wires. 'Forholding the edge of the fabric straight during the weaving operation and preventing the distortion of the same by the weft wire in passing around the edges of the fabric, attempts have been made heretofore to provide a supplemental support along theedges of the fabric which will receive the -strain of the weft in beingv looped about the edges and thus relieve the main-warp wires of the fabric from the distortional effect of said weft wire during this weaving operation.

Such prlor methods have usually consisted in employing an edge wire or selvage were of greater weight and strength than the main warp wires and in having'said'edge wire held fixed relatively to the main warp wires, with an end portion of the same extending at the se vage thereof so that theweft wire art waywithin the woven fabricv 1922. Serial No. 559,525;

will be looped at the selvage about this supplemental edge wire, thus protecting the main warp wires at the edge of the fabric described has been obtained by allowing the same to drag through a plurality'of the weft loops at the selvage during the take-up of the fabric, the numberof weft" loops at'the selvage through which said supplemental edge wire is dragged being greater or smaller, depending upon whether it is desired to increase or diminish the tension plemental edge wire.

The objections to this former practice have been that it is difficult, if not im possible, tovproperly control thetension of said supplemental edge wire, and moreover, to keep said tension uniform during the weaving of the fabric. This will be obvious from the fact that the weft wire, in' being drawn back and forth across the fabric, is not always looped about the edge wire with the same degree oftight-ness, Such a supplemental edge wire will drag more easily through loose loops than through tight loops of the weft wire, and since the tension and the supporting effect of said edge wire depends upon the drag of its interwoven free end, any uneven tension will produce an uneven selvage.

A further objection to this former method on said supis that the edge wire or drag wire so-called,'

when tightly embraced by the loops of weft wire will hold back on'said loops during the.

rapidly wears it out. If the worn drag wire is not discovered and renewed in time, it will. eventually break off in the fabric with damaging. results. i

In order to overcome the objections to the old practice thus noted, the present invention contemplates the employment at the edge of the fabric during the weaving oper be applied to this supporting selvage ation, of a temporary selva-ge wire extending throughout the length of the fabric and traveling therewith during the take-up of the same. This continuous. selvage wire is of stiffer supporting character than, the main warp wires and is also supported and caused to travel with. the fabric in such a L some of the essential elements ofan ordinary manner that its tension may be controlled separately from that of the main warp wires, whereby a much greater tension may wire than exists in the main warp wires. This supporting selvage wire should be of greater strength or weight than the main. warpwires so as to withstand the stronger tension imparted thereto, and I have found that a. wire of steel of approximately the same size, or perhaps a little larger than the main brass wires, is a suitable wire to use for thls purpose. Since such a continuous selvage wire does not drag through the weft loops at the selvage during the weaving operation, it has no distortional or bruising eifectupon the same. Furthermore, since its tension does not depend upon a'drag action within the fabric, it can be given any tension .it requires which tension will remain uniform during the weaving operation.

It is not intended that the continuous selvage wire thus used shall remain in the fabric during its use as a Fourdrinier screen. After the weaving of the fabric is completed, this temporary selvage wire should be removed by pulling the same longitudinally out of the weft selvage loops. In order to facilitate the removal of this continuous selvage wire, a selvage drag wire similar to that previously described in connection with the former practice, is preferably used in conjunction with said continuous selvage wire. Since the selvage drag wire is Withdrawn continuously from the selvage during the weaving, operation, the finished woven fabric will be provided with vacant weft loops adjacent the continuous selvage wire thereby rendering the withdrawal of the latter an easy matter.

The use of the relatively fixed dragwire in conjunction with the traveling s'elvage wire also furnishes additional support at the selvage of the fabric for withstanding the strain of the weft wire when thrown back and forth across the fabric. In this case,

the tension of the selvage drag wire can also I be so adjusted that it will never be sufficient to pull the weft wire loops backwardly and thus distort the selvage, the main support for the weft wire loops being furnished by the continuous selvage wire. In other words, the fixed drag. wire needo-nly extend sufficiently into the woven fabric Y so that i it will be easily withdrawn during the take-up of the fabric without straining. the. weft loops sufficient to distort the salvage of the fabric. 7

invention will be readily apparent from the.

following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show preferred means for carrying out the process. and in which- Fig. 1 1s a diagrammatic view showing loom for weaving wire fabric;

Fig. 2 is a detail in plan of one corner portion of such a loom adjacent the let'off end thereof; 4 j

\ Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in (Fig. 2; 7 b

Fig. l isan enlargedfragmentaiy detail of a portion of the fabric as it appears ldur- 'ing its process of bein woven in the loom F1 5 is an enlar e detail in ersoective e e l of a portion of the finished fabr c-1n attempt to show the appearance of the finisheid salvage thereof; and H I .1

Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail in cross-section of ,a portion of said finished fabric. Referring more particularly to. the draw- 1ngs- The process may be carriedv out on the usual type of a wire weaving loom in which 1 indicates the warp beam or let-off roll, 2

the whip roll, 3 the usual lease strips, f the heddle frames, 5 the beat-up reed, 6 the breast roll, and 7 the take-up or cloth roll. The main warp wires of the fabric are indicated at 8 and are supported in the hed dle frames, for the forming of the successive sheds" therewith in manner well understood. Th weftwire is indicated at 9.

At each edge of the selvage of the fabric to be woven, suitable means are arranged to carry the temporary selvage wires previously described. The selvage drag wire indicated at 10 may be suitably mounted by having one end fastened to a coiled spring ll which in turn may be secured to any stationary part of the 100111, a sfor instance the lease strips 3 asshown, so that said drag wire 10 is adapted to be held fixed relative to the main warp wires 8 during the take-up of the fabric. As shown in Fig. 4, the drag wire 10 is arranged to extend part way within the woven fabric, and due to its fixed fastening, to be continuously withdrawn from the same during the take-up of the fabric. This fixed'drag wire should not extend far enough into the fabric being woven same. I This traveling 's'elvage "wire 12 is 14 wound partially around the hub of said reel 18 and adapted to be adjusted for different degrees of braking action by means of a screw-threaded bolt 15 passing through a lug 16 of said loom frame and having secured thereto adjusting and lock nuts 17. As before stated, the traveling wire 12 is carried throughout the length of the fabric and is wound up therewith" on the take-up roll. The selvage wire 12 is herein referred to as a temporary wire for. the reason that it is not intended that the same shall remain in the woven fabric during the use of the latter as a Fourdrinier screen.

1 The drag wire 10 and the traveling selvage wire 12 are preferably carried through separate heddle frames of the loom so as to have successive sheds formed therebetween for the passage therethrough of the weft wire 9 in its movement back and forth across the fabric, whereby said wires 10 and 12 are interwoven with the fabric at the selvage thereof, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 4. It has been found thatby carrying the two selvage wires 10 and 12 in oppositely moving heddle frames, the effect of raising and lowering one selvage wire will be balanced by the opposed movement of, the

other selvage wire during the shed forming action, and thus eliminate the wavy effect at the selvage of the fabric which would be caused by the employment of only a single selvage wire. 7

The weft wire 9 is'looped at each edge of the fabric about the outside selvage wire 1.2, and since this selvage wire 12 travels with the fabric during its take-up, there-is no action tending to pull back and distort said weft wire loops during the weaving opera tion. The continuous take-upof the fabric causes the drag wire 10 to be continuously withdrawn from the selvage as shown in the lower part of Fig. 9, leaving the fabric as it is finally woven with a series of vacant weft loops at the inside of the'adjacent or continuous weft wire 12. I

After the fabric is thus-completely woven, weft wire 12 is pulled out by hand or other suitable means.

wires are left vacant by the withdrawal of both of said selvage wires 10 and 12. This will be the condition of the fabric as it is When the selvage wire 12 is finally removed from the fabric, the scl-' to be used on the paper making machine. It should be particularly noted that the vacant weft loops thus formed at the outside edge of th finished fabric are notsubjected to strain by the removal of the temporary selvage wires sufiicient. to distort the selvage having an even, flat, and substantially smooth selvage. I 7 What I'claimis: p I

1. The method of producing a woven wire fabricwhich consists, in employing at the edge of'the fabric to be woven a temporary 1 selvage wire traveling therewith during the take-upof the fabric in the weaving opera tion, loopingthe weft wire around said selvage wire during the weaving -0peration,- forming a row of vacant loops of said weft wir'e adjacent said edge warp wire dur ing the weaving and'take-up of the fabric to facilitate the final removal of said warp wire, and finally when said fabric is woven removing said selvage wire.

2. The method, of producing a woven wire fabric which consists,- in employing at the edge of the fabric to be woven a temporary selvage wire. of stiffer supporting character than themain warp wires of said fabric and traveling therewith during the take-up of the fabric in the weaving operation, looping the weft wire around said selvage wire during the weaving operation, and finally when said fabric is woven removing said selvage wlre.

3. The method of producing a woven wire fabric which consists, in employing at the edge of the fabric to be woven a temporary selvage wire traveling therewith during the take-up of the fabric inthe weaving operation, looping the-weft wire around said selvage wire during the weaving operation, controlling the tension of said selvage wire independently of the main warp wires during' the weaving operation, and finally when said fabric is woven, removing said selvage wire. V

4c. The method'offproducinga woven wire fabric which consists, in emplo-ying'at the edge of the fabric to be woven atemporary' wire than to the main warp wires during the weaving operation, and finally when said fabric is woven, removing said selvage wire. I

5. The method of producing a woven wire fabric which consists, in employing at the. same edge of'the fabric to'be woven two temporary selvage wires, the outside selvage wires extending. throughout the length of the fabric and traveling therewith during the'takemp, of the "same in the of the fabric, which results in the production of a wire fabric for Fourdrinier use weaving operation,.the inside selvage wire extending only part way into the woven fabric and relatively fixed so as to be continuously withdrawn from the fabric during the weaving operation.

6. The method of producing a woven wvire fabric which consists, in employing at the same edge of the fabric to be woven two temporary selvage wires, one of said selvage wires extending throughout the length of the fabric and traveling therewith during the take-up of the same in the weaving operation, the other selvage wire extending only part way into the woven fabric and relatively fixed so asto be continuously withdrawn from the fabric during the weaving operation, and finally whensaid fabric is woven, removing said first named selvage wire.

7. The method of producinga woven wire fabric which consists, in employing at the same edge of the fabric to be woven two temporary selvage wires, the outside selvage wire being of stiffer supporting character than the main warp wires of said fabric and extending throughout the length of the fabric and traveling therewith during the take-up of the same in the weaving operation, the inside selvage wire extending only part way into said woven fabric and being relatively fixed so as to be con-' tinuously withdrawn from the fabric during during the weaving operation, controlling the tension of said outside selvage wire independently of the main'warp wires dur ng the weaving operationyand finally when said'fabric is woven, removing said outside selvage wire. 7

9. The method of producing a woven wire fabric which consists, in employlng at the-same edge of the fabric to be woven two temporary selvage wires, the outside salvage wire being of stiffer supporting char acter than the main wires of said fabric and extending throughout the length of the fabric and traveling therewith during the take-upof the same in the weaving operation, the inside selvage wire extending only part way into said woven fabric and being relatively fixed so as to lee continuously withdrawn fromv the fabric during, the

weaving operation, applying greater. tension to said outside selvage wire than to the main warp wires of said fabric during the weaving operation, and finally when said fabric is woven removing said outside sel vage wire.

10. The method ofproducing a woven 'wire fabric which consists, in employing at the same edge of the fabric to be woven two temporary selvage wires of stiffer sup porting character than the main warp wires of'said fabric forming successive sheds with said selvage wines for the interweaving therewith of the weft wire during the weaving operation, looplng the weft wire around the outside selvage wire, both of said selvage wires being removed from the woven fabric after being interwoventherewith. 11. The method ofproducing a woven wire fabric which consists, in incorporating into the same edge of the fabric during the weaving operation two temporary selvage wires one of said selvage wires traveling with the fabric during the take-up of the same in the weaving operation, the other selvage wire being relatively fixed so as to, be" continuously withdrawn from the fabric during the weaving operation,.and finally when said fabric is woven removing said first named selvage wire. 7

12. The method of producing a woven wire fabric which consists, in employing at the same edge of the fabric to be woven two temporary selvage wires, forming successive sheds with both of said selvage wires for the interweaving therewith of the weft wire during the weaving operation, looping the weft wire around the outside selvage wire, causing said outside selvage wire to travel with the fabric during the take-up of the same in the weaving operation, holding the inside selvage wire relatively fixed so as to be continuously withdrawn from the fabric during the weaving operation, and finally whensaid'fabric 1SVWOV8I1 removlng said outside selvage wire.

13. The method of producing a woven wire fabric which consists, in employing at the same edge of the fabric to be woven twovtemporary selvage wires, carrying the weftwire in between said selvage wires and around said outside selvage wire during the weaving operation, holding said inside selvage wire relatively fixed during the weaving operation of the fabric so as to be continuously withdrawn from the fabric by the take-up movement of the same, carrying the outside selvage wire with the fabric during: this take-up movement, and finally when said fabric is woven removing said outside selvage wire In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

at reeves. 

